A Modern Day Guide for Improving Your Eyesight
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Peripheral Vision Eye Exercise

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How the Peripheral Vision Eye Exercise Improves Eyesight

Photoreceptor nerve cells called rods are found primarily in our peripheral vision. Rods are particularly sensitive to movement and also become much more active in the dark when the photoreceptor cells called cones of our central vision no longer function. In our primitive past, human beings used the rods cells of their peripheral vision extensively for avoiding predators and for navigating at night in almost complete darkness.

However, living in our modern world without predators and with electric lighting, we strongly favor our central vision over our peripheral vision. We use our central vision to read and watch television and we rarely spend time in darkness. Our rods are not used much and as a result our eyes become unbalanced, putting extra strain on our central vision. This exercise is meant to rebalance our eyes by stimulating our peripheral vision.

Peripheral Vision Eye Exercise Summary

incrementally using three different sized pieces of paper, you block your central vision. Then by waving your hands or an object or (as in the second eye exercise below) flashing lights, you stimulate the cells in the periphery.

Peripheral Vision Eye Exercise Step-By-Step

Eye Exercise 1 – Peripheral Vision in the Light

Use masking tape to create loops of tape and stick them to the middle of each piece of paper.

Remove any corrective lenses i.e glasses and contact lenses.

Stick the small piece of paper on the bridge of your nose so that it blocks your innermost central vision.

Wave your hands at the sides of your head.

Move your waving hands all around the periphery for a few minutes while you eyes are focused forward towards the black paper on your nose.

Now remove the small paper and replace it with the medium sized piece of paper, laying it horizontally across your eyes taped to the bridge of your nose.

Resume waving your hands for another few minutes.

Replace the medium size paper with the largest paper, again stretched horizontally across your eyes so that you can now only see the extreme periphery.

Resume waving your hands for a few minutes.

Perform the eye exercise palming while leaving the large black paper on your nose, for 5 deep breaths.

Take your hands away from your face and begin waving in the periphery again.

Switch from the large paper back to the medium sized, finishing with the small waving for a few minutes with each size.

Aim to spend a minimum of 10 minutes with this exercise.

Remove all paper from your face and notice any increase in peripheral vision.

To add even more visual movement to your periphery bend forward at the waist, bowing rapidly while at the same time you continue to wave your hands.

Eye Exercise 2 – Peripheral Vision in the Dark

How the Peripheral Vision Eye Exercise in the Dark Improves Eyesight

There are around 120 million Rods in each eye whose job it is to detect light and movement. It takes around 40 minutes for these cells to slowly adjust to the dark. You can experience how your rods slowly wake up by going for a walk at night.

By stimulating these cells in the dark with lights and movement we can speed this process up. We can also go one step further and block the central vision, thereby ensuring that only the periphery is used. Not only does this engage our periphery, which we tend to neglect, but it also rests the overworked central vision.

Essentially this exercise is the same as the previous peripheral vision eye exercise except now we’re using lights in the dark to really engage the rods.

Peripheral Vision Eye Exercise in the Dark Step-By-Step

The following exercises should be done in the dark.

Remove any corrective lenses i.e glasses and contact lenses.

Flash light eye exercise

With the three different sized pieces of paper take the smallest one and tape it to the centre of the bridge of your nose, so it equally covers both left and right eye.

Holding either glow sticks, flashing lights or dim lights, place both hands by your sides. Now move them straight up towards the ceiling, waving them at the same time. Make sure both eyes are looking forwards in a relaxed gaze.

Now wave them back down again and repeat several times. Do not forget to include waving the lights above and below the head to stimulate both upper and lower periphery.

After 20 times, close your eyes, remove the small piece of paper and put on the middle sized paper, on the bridge of the nose.

Begin waving the lights up and down again by your side

Dilated pupil from peripheral eye exercise

, above and below the head.

Now, close your eyes and place the large piece of paper between the eyes. Open you eyes and wave the lights 20 times up and down by your side, above and below the head.

Leaving the large paper on palm for 5 deep breaths, then continue waving the hands for another 20 times.

Close the eyes and put back on the medium sized paper. Open your eyes and wave 20 times.

Close the eyes, place the small piece of paper on. Open the eyes and wave for 20 times.

When you start reducing the sizes of paper try to pay particular attention to how small the paper has become, especially the small piece of paper, which should now seem as though its hardly there at all.

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The content of this website is intended for educational purposes only. It is not, in any sense, diagnosing or advising any medical treatment for any pathological condition and is not a replacement for advice or care from a qualified health care professional.